The Saint of Shirahime ✅

Chapter Seven

I didn't know this kind of happiness was possible, but it was real and it was happening to me.

After our date, Kazuki and I quietly and discreetly transitioned into a relationship less about being work colleagues and more about being boyfriend and girlfriend. Because of our workloads at school it was difficult to spend any free time together, but going to work had become even more enjoyable because I could see him everyday. We were still professional at Shirahime; we didn't even steal kisses from each other in between classes. But during free periods we were able to hold hands underneath our desks and I was happy to have that contact with him.

I'm so happy. I love him so much and he cares for me. I want to cherish this forever.

I hadn't yet told Kazuki that I loved him, and he likewise hasn't said anything to me. But for that moment I didn't need to hear the verbal acknowledgment. I only wanted to be in his presence; to hear his voice and to feel his arms around him and kiss him. I was content.

Suki immediately noticed the change between us and I denied nothing. She was absolutely thrilled that we had gotten together ("I knew you were sweet on him, Azusa!") and she was very encouraging and supportive of our relationship. Likewise in turn I was supportive of her budding relationship with Jackson, though I felt bad that she could not see him as often as I could see Kazuki. I saw Jackson's text messages to her, and he honestly seemed like a sweet guy. He was also a very popular teacher over at Yukinaga (though I had heard that Shinji Suzuhara was the most popular teacher there) but we were all very careful to not bring unwanted attention to ourselves.

I had thought that my life couldn't get any better. But...of course not everything was perfect.

~*~

July 7th, 2028

"Here, Azusa-san." Kazuki leaned across the table and showed me his cell phone. "Dr. Fawkes sent us all a mass email. They found another citizen of Angilles."

"I'm happy to hear that, Kazuki," I said, smiling as I looked at the email. "Let's see...ah, he seems to be very excited as he used a lot of exclamation points for his sentences. It—" my brow furrowed when I read one of the words. "K—Kwookah?"

"Koowka?!" Kazuki nearly shouted, startling the other patrons in Happy Lucky. He quickly took the phone back. "Is that what he wrote? He really wrote Koowka?!"

"Ah, yes," I said. "I'm not familiar with that word, though."

"It's an Angilles word. It means "server of the maiden". It's a title given to the women who specifically served the Princess!" Kazuki puffed out a sharp breath and looked up at me. "She—one of the Princess's direct maidservants has been found! T-That means the Princess surely has been reborn, hasn't she?!"

"I-It sure sounds like it, Kazuki-san. I can't imagine why she wouldn't be."

Kazuki looked almost on the verge of tears as he hugged his cell phone to his chest. "She...our Princess has never surfaced. Ever since her tragic death before the fall of Angilles we've never seen her. So many of have reincarnated multiple times. I know of one person whose on his thirteenth life! But she never came back. We thought we would never see her again, but now..."

I saw that he was becoming emotional and I decided to slightly change the topic. "So you've had more than one life, Kazuki?"

"A-Ah, yes." He did calm down with slight change of topic. "I-I actually don't know how many times, but I have patches of memories of serving in the Confederação dos Tamoios during the 16th century, but not very many. I-I unfortunately didn't have a long life then."